A common cause of school refusal, especially in very young children, is separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is part of child development and occurs when the child is separated from the mother or primary caregiver. During the first 8 months of life the infant has little knowledge of what is ordinary and what may be dangerous. New situations or experiences seem usual and are not frightening and the infant becomes familiar with the home environment, and feels comfortable when parents or other known caretakers are present. After the first year the infant recognizes changed circumstances and becomes frightened or anxious when it meets new people or visits new places. It recognizes parents as familiar and safe and feels threatened and unsafe when separated from parents. Most children less than 2 years old will experience some degree of separation anxiety when in unfamiliar situations, especially when separated from their parents. After the age of 2 years the toddler begins to understand that parents may be absent for a short period of time but will return later.
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However, separation anxiety may return during periods of stress in older children such as:
- Illness in a parent
- Marital disharmony or frequent quarrels or arguments between parents or caregivers,
- Death in the family
- Death of a friend
- Shifting house
- Jealousy over a new brother or sister
- Parents who are over protective or worry about the child or fuss over the child when sick.
Separation anxiety in older children may result in school refusal. In addition problems at school can cause school refusal such as:
- feeling lost (especially in a new school),
- not having friends,
- being bullied by another child,
- not getting along with a teacher or classmates
- Learning disability
- difficulty in adjusting to rules, regulations, and disciplining by teacher
- harsh conditions in school
- anxiety or fear of tests, presentations, group work, specific lessons, or interaction with other children.
- students sent to boarding school may experience symptoms of physical illness caused by abrupt separation from family
School refusal may also occur due to depression in the child.
